Today, November 24, South Australia officially released the 2025–26 financial-year state-nomination policy, with the ROI channel for onshore applicants opening immediately for lodgement; offshore applicants will continue to use the EOI system.

Let’s first pull out the key points of this year’s policy

What stays the same

1.Still divided into Graduate, Worker, Outer Regional Resident and Offshore channels — three onshore, one offshore;

2.Onshore applications continue to use the ROI invitation system, while offshore applications continue to use the EOI invitation system; both require meeting the prerequisites before the State Government makes its selection;

3.Onshore applications still have prerequisite residence, study and relevant work requirements

4.South Australia maintains its own occupation list, and different occupations carry different requirements for different applicants — as long as your occupation is on the list, there is, in theory, hope.

What has been refined or changed

1. Fine-tuning of the prerequisites

2. Clear priority industries

3. Selection logic for onshore and offshore invitations is now explicit

4. Minor changes to the occupation list — some popular occupations are now limited to 491

Let’s unpack each point below

I. 190 allocation cut significantly, 491 slightly up

First, on the allocations. Last week the Department of Home Affairs released each state’s nomination quota for 25-26, and today South Australia has once again confirmed —

190: 1,350 places (24-25 financial year 3,000)

491: 900 places (24-25 financial year 800)

total: 2,250 places (down 40.79% on the previous financial year)

190 allocation is clearly down — competition will be fiercer than before.491 allocation has ticked up slightly and remains relatively stable; against the broader backdrop of tightening quotas, 491 is increasingly becoming the “regular mainline channel”.

II. The four channels South Australia still retains

South Australian Graduates – SA Graduate channel

Graduates who have completed their studies in South Australia and are currently working full-time in a relevant occupation in South Australia.

Skilled Employment in South Australia – SA Employment channel

Onshore applicants who have been working in a position related to their nomination in South Australia for a set period (e.g. 12 months).

Outer Regional Skilled Employment – Outer Regional Employment channel

Applicants who live&work in South Australia’s recognised Outer Regional area and have done so for a set period (e.g. 9 months).

Offshore – Offshore applicant channel

Applicants currently overseas who have lodged an EOI with South Australia as their first preference state.

III. Changes to the prerequisites

Prerequisite application requirements(new key additions are highlighted in yellow)

A. Priority fields are as follows:

Applies to both onshore and offshore

Construction (Building and construction)

Defence (Defence)

Health (Health)

Education (Education)

Engineering (Engineering)

Manufacturing (Manufacturing)

– English (the higher, the better)

– Years of work experience in the nominated occupation

– Level of qualifications

– Salary / income level

– Employer type and stability (somewhat linked to employer size and contribution to the local economy)

Note: the conditions above are not ranked in any order of priority

Offshore selection rules (largely unchanged from before)

– English (the higher, the better)

– Years of work experience and the field in which it sits

– Level of qualifications

– EOI points

Note: the conditions above are ranked in order of priority — only the ranking for construction-related occupations differs slightly.

V. Occupation list

Overall the occupations have not changed much, but newly popular occupations now carry a 491-only restriction, for example

Accounting

Chef

Motor mechanic

Marketing specialist

In addition, priority occupations that meet the conditions can be given priority for 190

Feel free to contact us to find out how your specific occupation has changed in South Australia this year.

VI. Our summary and analysis

Pulling the above together, the trend for South Australia state nomination this financial year is clear:

First, 190 is no longer about “casting a wide net” — it is now “small and precise”: if your occupation is itself a 190/491 dual-open one, sits in a priority industry, and your profile is solid, it is still worth a shot at 190 — but be prepared mentally for “high competition and uncertainty”. 491 has already become the “main channel” for many occupations — no longer a back-up.The value of Outer Regional employment has risen further; if you’re willing to move to an Outer Regional area and willing to adjust your occupation/industry pathway, the opportunities are greater!

Second, although the overall quota has dropped this year, the good news isthat the State Government has made the rules clear, so applicants are no longer mostly guessing the way they were last year; for some occupations and ideal working applicants the impact is genuinely limited.

For specific personal plans, we suggest factoring in your own circumstances — you’re welcome to reach out to us!

Newstarsec Education & Migration·Adelaide BranchViktor↓